Wednesday, 27 February 2013

A True Survival Story of a University Student

I was lucky;
I caught the storm warning in advance this time. I tried to make preparations
but it was difficult without knowing exactly which day it would hit. I had
recently acquired a 1 litre plastic bottle, which I filled with juice and
regularly topped up, so I knew I wouldn’t go thirsty. My bathroom water, though
not the best, should also be drinkable if I should run out. I worried more about
food. I could eat more food earlier in the day but by nightfall I’d surely be
starving. Then I remembered that, due to not having the space for them in my
fridge or cupboard, I did have a bag of potatoes in my room. Fearing my
commitment to eating them solid, I decided I needed to get more supplies. The
woman in the shop looked surprised by the mass of snacks I purchased, unaware
of the oncoming disaster. I returned home, and I waited.

It happened.
It shook the whole flat. The noise was louder than anything I ever heard. I hid
under my desk with headphones plugged into my laptop, still trying to get work
done despite the storm outside. The lights went off a couple of times. I
managed to speak to my mother on the phone; I told her I loved her. Eventually,
I tried to get some sleep. It was difficult to drown out the sound of screams,
but I managed after an hour or so.

When I awoke
it seemed to be over. Things were quiet outside. I decided to risk leaving the
safety of my room. There was a terrible mess in the flat, bodies everywhere,
but I had survived.